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“Are you taking the bus out to Melling?”
“Well, yes.”
“You’re not staying in Lenton for lunch? You couldn’t-I mean you wouldn’t-have lunch with me, would you?”
He didn’t know how he got it out. The colour burnt his face. But she wasn’t angry, she was smiling.
“That’s terribly sweet of you, Allan, but I must get home.”
“I-I’d do anything for you, Mrs. Welby.”
“Would you? I wonder. No, I really believe you would. You’re a dear boy. Come round and see me some time like you used to.”
“Oh, Mrs. Welby-may I?”
She nodded, smiling, met his eyes, and let the smile slide into a laugh.
“You mustn’t be foolish, you know.”
“Is it foolish to-to love you?”
“Very.” She was still laughing. “But rather sweet. There!”
She leaned forward, kissing him lightly on the cheek, and ran down the stairs with a backward wave of her hand.
CHAPTER 38
Saturday slipped away. Catherine Welby bought some face-cream, a box of powder, and a new lipstick, after which she took the next bus back to Melling. Saturday being a half day at the office, Allan Grover snatched a hasty lunch and went to watch a football match. Returning home in time for a six o’clock tea, he had a wash and brush up and went out again, a
Sunday morning came in bright and clear. Mrs. Fallow, professionally off duty, took time from her own domestic affairs to run up to Melling House just to keep in touch. If, for instance, Cyril had been arrested, it would be a severe affront to hear the news from anyone but Mrs. Mayhew herself. Passing the Gate House at half past nine, she thought Mrs. Welby was lying late-no smoke from the chimney and the milk not taken in. She remarked to Mrs. Mayhew that she only wished she had the time to lie in bed of a morning.
A cup of tea having been proffered and accepted, twenty minutes slipped away. After which Mrs. Fallow buttoned up her coat and said she didn’t know what she was thinking about, sitting like this with everything waiting at home and the Sunday di
She went along the flagged path to the little porch and stood looking at the milk bottle. It ought to have been taken in best part of two hours ago. She didn’t like it. On the other hand, Mrs. Welby wasn’t one that would care about your poking your nose into her business. If she hadn’t been one of the most inquisitive women on earth Mrs. Fallow would have turned round and gone away.
She couldn’t bring herself to do it. She went round the corner of the house and saw all the curtains closely drawn and the windows shut. It was downright u
She walked all the way round. There wasn’t a window open or a curtain pulled aside. She came back to the porch and pressed her finger on the electric bell. No one answered, no one came.
Mrs. Fallow found herself getting out her handkerchief and wiping her hands. It was a bright, cold morning, but they were clammy with sweat. The silence in the house seemed to be seeping out of it like-she didn’t know what it was like, but it frightened her. She rang again and again, and when that failed she beat upon the door loud enough, in her own words, to wake the dead. Nobody waked, nobody came. She picked up her feet and ran for the White Cottage.
She looked scared to death when Rietta Cray opened the door, and next minute she was crying, and saying she thought something had happened to Mrs. Welby and what did they ought to do about it. It was Rietta who suggested the telephone, but when there was still no reply they all went round to the Gate House, she, and Carr, and Fancy, and Mrs. Fallow.
It was Fancy who tried the door and found that it wasn’t locked. The key was on the i
CHAPTER 39
The Chief Constable’s car drew up at Mrs. Voycey’s front door. He rang the bell, asked for Miss Silver, and was shown into the drawing-room where she and Mrs. Voycey were sitting by the fire. Cecilia Voycey displayed a commendable degree of tact. She shook hands, she beamed a welcome, and removed herself and her novel to the dining-room. When the door was closed upon her Randal March turned to Miss Silver and said,
“Well, I suppose you have heard the news.”
She had her knitting in her lap. The two fronts and the back of little Josephine’s jacket having been completed and sewn together, she was engaged upon the left sleeve, for which four needles were in use. They clicked briskly as she replied,
“Oh, yes. It is extremely shocking.”
He dropped into the chair which Mrs. Voycey had vacated.
“You were, of course, perfectly right. I don’t know how you do it. I must confess I was sceptical, but-we got a statement from the Luker girl. She did listen in on Wednesday night, and this is what she says.” He took out some folded sheets of typescript, straightened them, and began to read aloud:-
‘ “I was on duty from Wednesday evening at seven o’clock. Things were quiet. There weren’t many calls. At a quarter to eight Mr. Lessiter rang through from Melling House to know if I could help him with Mr. Holderness’s private address. I looked it up and put him through. I wouldn’t have listened, only I was worrying about something and I thought maybe it would stop me thinking about it. But I’d another call to see to, so all I heard was Mr. Lessiter saying, “Good-evening, Mr. Holderness. I’ve found my mother’s memorandum.” The call was quite a short one, and I didn’t listen any more. A little after eight Mr. Lessiter called again. He gave Mrs. Welby’s number, and I put him on. There has been a lot of talk about Mr. Lessiter in Melling. I don’t listen as a rule, but I thought I would, just to see what he sounded like talking to someone like Mrs. Welby-’ ”